Thuja plant named ‘INGGSP’

ABSTRACT

A new  Thuja  plant particularly distinguished by having an extra narrow conical shape, one half of the growth rate of its parental line, a moderate garden size, uniform compact upright branching, small leaves, and foliage sprays arranged in a 3-dimensional curved pattern, is disclosed.

Genus and species: Thuja plicata x standishii.

Variety denomination: ‘INGGSP’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of HybridArborvitae, botanically known as Thuja plicata x standishii andhereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘INGGSP’. ‘INGGSP’ is aselection discovered Dec. 26, 2018, in Boring, Oreg. as a three year oldwhole plant mutation in a commercial nursery of the commercial Thujavariety ‘Green Giant’ (unpatented). In December 2018, ‘INGGSP’ was firstvegetatively propagated by rooted cuttings in Boring, Oreg. ‘INGGSP’ wasfound to reproduce true to type in successive generations of asexualpropagation via semi hardwood rooted cuttings in Boring, Oreg.

SUMMARY

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of this new variety when grown under normalhorticultural practices in Boring, Oreg.

-   -   1. ‘INGGSP’ is of moderate garden size.    -   2. ‘INGGSP’ exhibits one half the growth rate of its parent        ‘Green Giant’.    -   3. ‘INGGSP’ has an extra narrow conical shape.    -   4. ‘INGGSP’ displays uniform compact upright branching.    -   5. ‘INGGSP’ produces small leaves compared to its parent ‘Green        Giant’.    -   6. ‘INGGSP’ has foliage sprays arranged in a 3-dimensional        curved pattern.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

This new Thuja plant ‘INGGSP’ is illustrated by the accompanyingphotographs. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtainedby conventional photographic procedures.

FIG. 1 . is of a ‘INGGSP’ plant approximately seven-years-old, grown inthe field in Boring, Oreg. in December 2022, which shows an overallhabit and form of the plant.

FIG. 2 illustrates the differences between foliage of the parental line‘Green Giant’ and ‘INGGSP’.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘INGGSP’. The data which define these characteristicswere collected from asexual reproduction carried out in Boring, Oreg.Data was collected from a seven-year-old ‘INGGSP’ plant grown in theground and four-year-old plants grown outdoors in containers in Boring,Oreg. in December of 2022. Color references are to The R.H.S. ColourChart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 4^(th)edition (2001).

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Cupressaceae.        -   Species.—Thuja plicata x standishii.        -   Common name.—Hybrid Arborvitae.        -   Variety.—‘INGGSP’.-   Parentage: Thuja plicata x standishii ‘Green Giant’ (unpatented).-   Plant:    -   -   Form.—Conical.        -   Growth habit.—Extra narrow upright single trunk large tree,            densely branched with foliage from base to crown.        -   Height.—270.0 cm. at seven years.        -   Width.—65.0 cm. at seven years.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cuttings.—Semi hardwood rooted cuttings.        -   Time to produce rooted cutting.—120 days.-   Stem (trunk):    -   -   Diameter.—8.0 cm at seven years (measured at 15.0 cm from            soil).        -   Texture.—Two to four years: Smooth to slightly rough. Seven            years: Vertical fissures with strips or flakes of fibrous            bark.        -   Color.—Two to four years: RHS 166A. Seven years: RHS 198A            fibrous strips with revealed RHS 183A smooth underlayment.-   Lateral branches:    -   -   Color.—Young branch stems: RHS 174B. Mature branch stems:            RHS 166A.        -   Length.—25.0 cm.        -   Internode length.—1.0 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.3 cm.        -   Branching habit.—Upward angled branches with single stem            leader maintaining superiority with long branch shoots along            the central trunk axis arranged in an alternate spiral            pattern with a spacing of 3.0 cm to 6.0 cm.        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Strength.—Flexible.-   Leaves:    -   -   Arrangement.—Scale-like leaves in alternate dissimilar            pairs, flattened facial leaf pairs with triangular acute            leaf tip in successive pairs separated by lateral leaf pairs            with adpressed cuspidate leaf tip on new leaves with            slightly spreading leaf tip with maturity.        -   Fragrance.—Sweet resinous aroma.        -   Apex.—Facial leaf: Acute. Lateral leaf: Cuspidate.        -   Base.—Truncate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Length.—0.3 cm.        -   Width.—0.15 cm.        -   Texture.—Smooth, fleshy, and soft.        -   Venation pattern.—Inconspicuous.        -   Color.—Foliage: Upper surface: RHS 146A. Lower surface: RHS            157B wide stomatal zone separated by midrib RHS 146A.        -   Leaf surface.—Glabrous and glossy with a small to obscure            resin gland on facial leaves.        -   Aspect (arrangement on stem).—Alternating opposite            dissimilar pairs of facial and lateral leaves.-   Flowering: No flowering observed.-   Cone and seed set: Cone berry-like with no male or female cones or    seeds observed.-   Disease and insect resistance: No particular disease or insect    resistance observed.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL LINE AND KNOWN VARIETY

‘INGGSP’ is distinguished from its mutation parent as described in Table1:

TABLE 1 Comparison with Parental Line ‘Green Giant’ New variety ParentTrait or characteristic ‘INGGSP’ ‘Green Giant’ Growth rate 40.0 cm perseason 75.0 cm per season Growth habit Narrow upright Broad uprightBranch spacing Compact spacing 3.0 cm to Wide spacing 6.0 cm 10.0 cm ormore 7-year size 270.0 cm high by 65.0 cm 425.0 cm high by height bywidth wide 215.0 cm wide Leaf size 0.3 cm long by 0.15 cm 0.6 cm long bylength by width wide 0.3 cm wide

COMPARISON WITH SIMILAR VARIETY

‘INGGSP’ is most similar to the commercial Thuja plant named ‘Hogan’(unpatented). Differences between the two varieties are described inTable 2:

TABLE 2 Variety Commercial line Trait ‘INGGSP’ ‘Hogan’ Growth rate 40.0cm per season 60.0 cm per season Branchlets 3-dimentional curved shootand Flat linear leaf sprays leaf spray arrangement

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Thuja plant named ‘INGGSP’ asshown and described herein.